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MU-MIMO capabilities of the bridges are not a factor considered when calculating the Link Budget for an outdoor point-to-point WLAN bridge link. The Link Budget is acalculation of the expected signal strength at the receiver based on various factors that affect the RF transmission. Some of these factors are operating frequency, transmit power, receive antenna gain, free space path loss, cable loss, connector loss, and environmental loss. MU-MIMO stands for Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output, which is a technology that allows multiple devices to communicate simultaneously using multiple spatial streams. MU-MIMO is not relevant for a point-to-point link, where there are only two devices involved. References: 1, Chapter 2, page 59; 2, Section 2.2

FT (Fast Transition) is an IEEE 802.11 standard method for fast roaming. FT is defined in the IEEE 802.11r amendment and is also known as Fast BSS Transition (FBT) or Fast Secure Roaming. FT is a feature that allows a client station to quickly switch from one AP to another within the same ESS (Extended Service Set) without having to re-authenticate and re-associate with each AP. This reduces the latency and packet loss that may occur during roaming, thus improving the user experience and maintaining the security of the connection. FT works by using pre-authentication and key caching mechanisms that allow the client station and the APs to exchange security information before the actual roaming occurs. This way, when the client station decides to roam to a new AP, it can use a fast reassociation request and response that contain only a few fields, instead of a full authentication and association exchange that require more time and data. References: 1, Chapter 9, page 367; 2, Section 6.3

Impedance is the measure of opposition to the flow of alternating current (AC) in a circuit. Impedance mismatch occurs when the impedance of the radio does not match the impedance of the antenna or the cable. This causes some of the transmitted or received signal to be reflected back, resulting in a loss of power and efficiency. The voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) is a metric that indicates the amount of impedance mismatch in a transmission line. A higher VSWR means a higher impedance mismatch and a lower signal quality. A VSWR of 1:1 is ideal, meaning there is no impedance mismatch and no reflected power. A VSWR of 2:1 means that for every 2 units of forward power, there is 1 unit of reflected power12.

The other options are not correct because they do not affect the VSWR in RF cables. A high gain yagi antenna or a high gain parabolic dish antenna can increase the signal strength and directionality, but they do not cause impedance mismatch in the cable. Radio output power above 100 mW but below 400 mW is within the acceptable range for most WLAN devices and does not cause excessive VSWR in the cable3.

References: 1:CWNA-109Official Study Guide, page 77 2: VSWR 3:CWNA-109Official Study Guide, page 81

The response that you should give to your manager’s suggestion of implementing the security practices of disabling the broadcasting of the SSID in Beacons and configuring the access points not to respond to Probe Request frames that have a null SSID field is that any 802.11 protocol analyzer can see the SSID in clear text in frames other than Beacons frames. This negates any security benefit of trying to hide the SSID in Beacons and Probe Response frames. The SSID (Service Set Identifier) is a human-readable name that identifies a WLAN and allows users to connect to it. The SSID is transmitted in clear text in several types of 802.11 frames, such as Beacon frames, Probe Request frames, Probe Response frames, Association Request frames, Association Response frames, Reassociation Request frames, and Reassociation Response frames. Some people may think that hiding the SSID can improve the security of the WLAN by making it invisible to potential intruders. However, this is not true, as hiding the SSID only removes it from Beacon frames and Probe Response frames that have a null SSID field. The SSID is still present in other types of frames that can be easily captured and analyzed by any 802.11 protocol analyzer or wireless scanner tool. Therefore, hiding the SSID does not provide any real security benefit and may even cause some compatibility and performance issues for legitimate users. References: 1, Chapter 4, page 133; 2, Section 4.1

The feature of 802.11ax (HE) that provides this functionality is OFDMA. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access and is a technology that allows multiple devices to communicate simultaneously on the same channel in the same BSS. OFDMA works by dividing a channel into smaller subchannels called Resource Units (RUs), which are composed of groups of subcarriers or tones. Each RU can be assigned to a different device based on its bandwidth requirement and signal quality. This way, OFDMA can increase the efficiency and capacity of the channel by reducing overhead, contention, and latency. OFDMA can also support both uplink and downlink multi-user transmissions using trigger frames and buffer status reports. 6 GHz support, TWT, and Wi-Fi-LTE are not features of 802.11ax that provide this functionality. References: [CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: ExamCWNA-109], page 226; [CWNA: Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: ExamCWNA-109], page 216.

The string of characters and digits that is entered into an AP and a client STA for WPA2 security and is 8 characters long is called a passphrase. A passphrase is a human-readable text that is used to generate a Pre-Shared Key (PSK) for WPA2-Personal security. A passphrase can be between 8 and 63 characters long and can include any ASCII character. The PSK is a 256-bit key that is derived from the passphrase using a hashing algorithm called PBKDF2. The PSK is used to encrypt and decrypt the data frames between the AP and the client STA. A MSK is a Master Session Key that is generated by an authentication server for WPA2-Enterprise security. A WEP key is a 40-bit or 104-bit key that is used for Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security, which is deprecated and insecure. A PSK is not a string of characters and digits, but a binary key. References: [CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: ExamCWNA-109], page 303; [CWNA: Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: ExamCWNA-109], page 293.

Implementing Fast BSS Transition (FT) for roaming is likely to cause the least impact on the application layer throughput of an 802.11n client station in a 2.4 GHz HT BSS. FT is a feature that allows a client station to quickly switch from one AP to another within the same ESS (Extended Service Set) without having to re-authenticate and re-associate with each AP. This reduces the latency and packet loss that may occur during roaming, thus improving the user experience and maintaining the application layer throughput. FT is defined in the IEEE 802.11r amendment and is also known as Fast Roaming or Fast Secure Roaming. References: , Chapter 9, page 367; , Section 6.3

USB 3 devices in the user’s work area are the most likely cause of this interference when using a spectrum analyzer to look for non-Wi-Fi interference sources. A spectrum analyzer is a tool that measures and visualizes the radio frequency activity and interference in the wireless environment. A spectrum analyzer can show the spectrum usage and energy levels on each frequency band or channel and help identify and locate the sources of interference. Interference is any unwanted signal that disrupts or degrades the intended signal on a wireless channel. Interference can be caused by various sources, such as other Wi-Fi devices, non-Wi-Fi devices, or natural phenomena. Interference can affect WLAN performance and quality by causing signal loss, noise, distortion, or errors. USB 3 devices are non-Wi-Fi devices that use USB 3.0 technology to transfer data at high speeds between computers and peripherals, such as hard drives, flash drives, cameras, or printers. USB 3 devices can generate electromagnetic radiation that interferes with Wi-Fi signals in the 2.4 GHz band, especially when they are close to Wi-Fi devices or antennas. USB 3 devices can cause significant interference across the entire 2.4 GHz band (not on a few select frequencies) within the desktop area of a user’s workspace, but the interference disappears quickly after just 2 meters. This is because USB 3 devices emit broadband interference that affects all channels in the 2.4 GHz band with a high intensity near the source but a low intensity at a distance due to attenuation. The other options are not likely to cause this interference pattern when using a spectrum analyzer to look for non-Wi-Fi interference sources. Bluetooth devices in the user’s work area are non-Wi-Fi devices that use Bluetooth technology to communicate wirelessly between computers and peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, headphones, or speakers. Bluetooth devices can cause interference with Wi-Fi signals in the 2.4 GHz band, but they use frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique that changes frequencies rapidly and randomly within a range of 79 channels. Therefore, Bluetooth devices do not cause significant interference across the entire 2.4 GHz band (not on a few select frequencies), but rather intermittent interference on some channels at different times. Excess RF energy from a nearby AP is not a non-Wi-Fi interference source but rather a Wi-Fi interference source that occurs when an AP transmits more power than necessary for its coverage area. Excess RF energy from a nearby AP can cause co-channel interference (CCI) with other APs or client devices that use the same channel within range of each other. CCI reduces performance and capacity because it causes contention and collisions on the wireless medium,

In the 802.11 wireless networking protocols, when a client station sends a broadcast probe request frame with a wildcard SSID (Service Set Identifier), it is essentially asking for any nearby access points (APs) to identify themselves. The way APs respond to such a probe request is governed by standard 802.11 behavior, which includes:

Probe Request Handling: Upon receiving a broadcast probe request, each AP that can serve the client prepares a probe response. The response includes information about the AP, such as its SSID, supported data rates, and other capabilities.

Contention-Based Mechanism: Wireless networks use a contention-based mechanism (CSMA/CA - Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) for medium access. Each AP must wait for a clear channel and win the contention process before it can send its probe response.

Independent Responses: Each AP operates independently in responding to the probe request. There is no coordination between APs to decide which one responds first or at all, leading to multiple APs sending probe responses, each after winning the contention for the medium.

Option A accurately reflects this process, indicating that each AP prepares and sends a probe response in turn, contingent upon winning the medium contention. The other options suggest mechanisms (such as coordination with a DHCP server or simultaneous responses after a Short Interframe Space (SIFS)) that do not align with standard 802.11 procedures for handling broadcast probe requests.

The client STA can use Beacon frames transmitted by the AP to verify that an AP supports the same data rates that it supports. Beacon frames are management frames that are periodically broadcasted by the APs to announce their presence, capabilities, and parameters. One of the information elements contained in the Beacon frames is the Supported Rates or Extended Supported Rates, which lists the data rates that the AP can use for communication. The client STA can compare its own data rates with those advertised by the AP to determine if they are compatible. Data frames, authentication frames, and probe request frames do not contain information about data rates. References: [CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: Exam CWNA-109], page 133; [CWNA: Certified Wireless Network Administrator Official Study Guide: Exam CWNA-109], page 123.